The present invention generally relates to carrying, storing and delivering quantities of skin care products and similar products. The invention relates more specifically to a skin care product delivery system.
Individuals need a better method of transporting and using skin care products, either at home or away from home. Each individual may require the use of several functionally different skin care products each day, and at different times of the day. For example, an individual may use a cleanser, a moisturizing lotion, a toning lotion, an eye treatment, lip balm, a sun protective lotion, an astringent wash, or other products. Some of these products may be applied in the morning, while others are applied in the afternoon or evening. Having the proper products available at the proper time therefore becomes a complicated task.
In one past approach, an individual obtains separate individual containers of each skin care product and takes the containers with the individual during trips, errands or travel. However, using separate individual containers of skin care products tends to be awkward and messy. For liquid products, spills or leakage can occur, especially when the products are transported in a depressurized compartment, as on aircraft. They also take up an excessive amount of space and require the individual to have a large bag or other container to carry them.
These problems become acute when the individual is away from home or traveling. On a short trip, for example, the individual may need only a selected quantity of each product at a particular time, and yet the individual is required to carry numerous large containers just to have the selected quantity available when it is needed.
Further, when the individual is away from a home or other location where containers of products are located, desired products may be unavailable when they are needed.
Miniature product containers, known as xe2x80x9ctravel sizexe2x80x9d containers, have been used in the past for transporting smaller quantities of various personal care products. However the use of travel size products in the context described herein does not solve all existing problems. For example, in current approaches an individual is required to search for and apply only those products that are appropriate for the then-current time of day. Use of travel-size containers also requires the individual to travel with numerous separate product containers. Further, if the individual is traveling with numerous separate product containers, and needs only those products that are appropriate for morning, the individual is required to search for and identify the appropriate containers, and then dispense a selected quantity of only those products. This is time-consuming and cumbersome. If the individual needs a different combination of products in the afternoon or evening, the individual is required to repeat the foregoing exercise.
Yet another problem is that an individual may use different combinations of products for different activities. As an example, the combination of products that a particular individual uses for a summer day at the beach is probably quite different from the products that are appropriate for an evening in the city. The appropriate products also may vary by location, climate, or weather conditions.
Thus, there is a need for a way to transport, and make available for individual use, a selected quantity of a plurality of skin care products in a manner that is compact, convenient, sanitary, and neat.
There is also a need for a way to transport and make available such quantities of products in a manner that is organized for a particular time period of the day.
There is also a need for a way to transport and make available such quantities of products in a manner that is organized for a particular kind of activity.
The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
The foregoing needs, and other needs and objects that will become apparent for the following description, are achieved in the present invention, which comprises, in one aspect, a skin care product delivery system. In one embodiment, the system comprises a carrier cover, a product carrier that is removably affixed to the carrier cover, a plurality of spaced-apart cavities formed in the product carrier, a removable seal over the cavities, and a quantity of skin care fluid in each of the cavities.
According to one feature, each of the cavities contains a functionally different skin care fluid. In another feature, each different skin care fluid addresses a different skin care need that may arise in a period of time.
In yet another feature, the carrier cover comprises a planar sheet having holes through which the cavities may protrude, one or more score lines, and a slot for receiving a closure tab. A closure tab extends outwardly from the sheet and is joined to the sheet by a foldable score line. Folding the cover along the score line and inserting the closure tab into the slot results in forming a closed package that contains and carries the product carriers, by removably closing the cover over the sheet and the cavities. In a related feature, first and second separate product carriers are provided; the first product carrier carries a first plurality of cavities that hold a first set of skin care products for use during a first time period, and the second product carrier carries a second plurality of cavities that hold a second set of skin care products for use during a second time period. For example, the first plurality of cavities holds skin care products for use during morning or day, and the second portion holds skin care products for use during afternoon or evening.
In still another feature, the seal of the product carrier comprises a single planar sheet of sealing material that covers all the cavities. In another feature, the seal comprises a first planar sheet that covers cavities of the first product carrier, and a second planar sheet that covers cavities of the second product carrier. In another feature, the seal comprises a plurality of individual seals, each of the seals formed over a different one of the cavities. The seal may be once-removable, or re-sealable.
According to another aspect, a skin care delivery system comprises a carrier cover, a first product carrier and a second product carrier. A first plurality of spaced-apart cavities is formed in the first product carrier and a second plurality of spaced-apart cavities is formed in the second product carrier. A removable seal is affixed over one or more of the cavities. A first set of skin care products in the cavities of the first product carrier, and each product in the first set is functionally different and is appropriate for use during a morning time period. A second set of skin care products in the cavities of the second product carrier, and each product in the second set is functionally different and is appropriate for use during an afternoon or evening time period.
The system thus provides a compact, efficient, sanitary, and spill-proof apparatus for carrying all skin care products that are appropriate for care of an individual over a period of time. Alternate embodiments provide cavities of various numbers, sizes and shape, various closure styles, package formats and product aliquots organized by time period or function.